The Ludarium Academy · Full course · Free

From Feeder to Flock

An unofficial Wingspan course

Learn Wingspan, teach it in ten minutes, and build a bird engine that keeps scoring, from your first five cards to your last egg.

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Wingspan setup: a shared area with the face-down bird deck, the bird tray holding 3 face-up birds, the birdfeeder with 5 food dice, the goal board with goal tiles for rounds 1 to 4, the bonus card deck, and the food and egg supply. Below, one player's mat with egg costs over its 5 columns (free, 1 egg, 1 egg, 2 eggs, 2 eggs) and empty forest, grassland, and wetland rows, beside that player's 8 action cubes, 5 starting birds and 5 food, 2 bonus cards to choose from, and the first-player token.Free printable teach sheetSetup, a turn, scoring, and three tips on one page.

Five levels, 18 lessons

Start with lesson one

  1. Level 0 · Learn to play

    Fledgling

    After this level: Set up, teach, and finish a full game, and read every part of a bird card at a glance, without opening the rulebook.

    1. 01How to Play Wingspan: Rules, Setup, and Scoring
    2. 02How to Teach Wingspan
    3. 03How to Read a Wingspan Bird Card

  2. Level 1 · Beginner

    Birdwatcher

    After this level: Dodge the common rules slips, keep a hand you can play, run the birdfeeder well, and plan for all four round goals from turn one.

    1. 04Your First Three Games of Wingspan
    2. 05Wingspan Openings: Your Starting Hand and Round One
    3. 06Wingspan Food: Running the Birdfeeder and Your Pantry
    4. 07Wingspan End-of-Round Goals: Plan All Four From Turn One

  3. Level 2 · Intermediate

    Naturalist

    After this level: Time your engine, pick scoring powers and bonus cards that pay, count every point in round four, and choose your first expansion.

    1. 08The Wingspan Midgame: Engines, Tempo, and Reading the Table
    2. 09Tuck, Cache, and Hunt: Wingspan's Scoring Powers
    3. 10Wingspan Bonus Cards: Reading the Odds and Reaching the Step
    4. 11Wingspan Endgame and Scoring Math
    5. 12Wingspan Expansions, Variants, and Player Counts

  4. Level 3 · Advanced

    Ornithologist

    After this level: Price any bird in turns and points, put odds on dice and draws, read the whole table, and beat the Automa on its hardest setting.

    1. 13Wingspan Bird Evaluation: What Is This Bird Worth Right Now?
    2. 14Wingspan Odds: The Birdfeeder, Predators, and the Deck
    3. 15Reading the Table in Wingspan: Rivals, Races, and the Duel
    4. 16Solo Wingspan: Beating the Automa on Every Difficulty

  5. Level 4 · Tournament ready

    Big Year

    After this level: Play a four-player game under World Boardgaming Championships rules inside two hours, and follow a practice plan toward a heat win.

    1. 17Competitive Wingspan: Tournaments and Online Play
    2. 18A Practice Plan for Tournament Wingspan

Every lesson is free to read here, any time. Sign up and they also arrive by email, one at a time, so the course keeps you learning between game nights.

Who it is for

  • New players who want the rules clear before the first bird lands.
  • Hosts who teach Wingspan to family, friends, or a new group.
  • Players who love the game but keep finishing a few points behind.
  • Anyone curious about solo play, expansions, and tournaments.
Players
1 to 5
Play time
40 to 70 minutes
Ages
Ages 10 and up
Rules as of
Wingspan rulebook and appendix, English (Stonemaier Games, 2019), checked against the official Rulepop reference and the Rules and FAQ page, October 2026

Questions

How many turns do you get in Wingspan?

You get 8 turns in round 1, 7 in round 2, 6 in round 3, and 5 in round 4, for 26 in all. At the end of each round, one of your action cubes stays on the goal board to mark your score, so you have one fewer cube to play.

How much does it cost to play a bird in Wingspan?

You pay the food cost in the top left of the card, plus an egg cost set by the column. The first column is free, columns 2 and 3 cost 1 egg, and columns 4 and 5 cost 2 eggs. When you play a bird, any 2 food tokens can stand in for 1 food of any type.

When can you reroll the birdfeeder in Wingspan?

If every die in the birdfeeder shows the same face, including when only one die is left, you may reroll all 5 dice before you gain food. If the birdfeeder is empty, roll all 5 dice back in.

How do ties work for end-of-round goals in Wingspan?

On the green side of the goal board, tied players add the points for their place and the next place, divide by the number of tied players, and round down. The next place is not awarded to anyone else.

Who wins a tie in Wingspan?

The player with the most unused food tokens wins. If players are still tied, they share the victory.

Can you play Wingspan solo?

Yes. The base game includes the Automa, a solo opponent run by a small deck of cards. You always take the first turn of each round, and the Automa always takes the last.

Teach sheet · PDF · Rules as described in the Wingspan rulebook and appendix, English (Stonemaier Games, 2019), checked against the official Rulepop reference and the Rules and FAQ page, October 2026; official rules.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with Stonemaier Games. This is not an official Stonemaier product. Wingspan is a trademark of Stonemaier LLC.